Churches and Chapels

Horton Methodist Chapel is situated at the top of the hill in Horton, next to the village hall, only a minutes’ drive from the beach. Everyone is welcome.

The church is situated at the heart of the Mumbles community at the gateway to the beautiful Gower Peninsula and five miles west of the city of Swansea. A warm welcome awaits.

Please allow us to introduce our Chapel on the Green, in the lovely setting of Murton. We are situated within the Gower area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just a short hop from Swansea

Pitton Methodist Chapel is situated half way between the Pitton crossroads and the village of Middleton, on the B4247, only a minutes’ drive from Rhossili. A warm welcome awaits.

Reynoldston is a lively fellowship, the chapel is prominently located opposite the village Post Office.

The church is cruciform in shape, with an embattled western tower, and the nave and chancel date from the early 12th century.

The tiny ‘Cathedral of Gower’ was probably built in the early 14th century to replace the one at Landimore, abandoned due to the encroachment of the sea. The tower, without transepts, is between the nave and chancel, an uncommon design in South Wales.

The church was founded during the 6th century by St. Cattwg’s missionary to Gower, St. Cennydd. The present building dates from the 12th century and was given to the Knights of St. John by Robert de la Mare around 1165.

This 12th century church is on the site of a 6th century llan, or churchyard, which retains the original circular footprint. The floor was raised and the interior subjected to careful Victorian remodelling. In the south wall are the remains of a medieval doorway to the cloisters of the adjoining monastery/priory, and in the rear of the chancel arch is evidence of a rood-stair.

The church is said to have been built by Henry de Gower, a 14th century Bishop of St David’s. The chancel is not in line with the nave but inclined to the south: there is a theory that this is a ‘weeping chancel’, deliberately built as a reminder to worshippers that when Christ was crucified, he leant his head to one side; or may simply mean that the chancel and the sanctuary were built at different times.

This mission chapel was built in 1898 alongside the marsh to serve parishioners when the main road was impassable.

The dedication to St George is a reminder of the Anglo/Norman influence in this part of Gower: the figure of St George slaying the dragon is carved in relief on the stone pulpit.

The church derives from a 6th century monastic cell. The present church was largely built during the 13th century incorporating the cell in the base of a massive embattled tower with a saddleback roof. For the millennium celebrations the tower was re-opened into the church and the area restored as a simple but beautiful chapel.

Legend suggests that St Illtyd himself brought the Sutton Stone font to Oxwich. The decoration of the chancel was instigated by Leslie Young, artistic director of Sadler’s Wells in 1931, who used to holiday nearby.

The original church was probably on the burrows above Three Cliffs Bay. This was besanded in the early 14th century, and probably directly replaced by the present one.

St Madoc is reputed to have founded a church here in the 6th century, and the present building is 13th century.

A church which stood close to Pennard castle and whose remains can still be seen was besanded and finally abandoned in the early 16th century, so that St Mary’s became the parish church.

The church was built by Anglo-Norman settlers around the year 1200, and has a saddleback tower. The doorway surround is a fine example of late Norman work, rare in Wales and unique in Gower.

The earlier church was nearer the sea, and the present one built in the 14th century. A medieval tombstone stands in the porch, and the font is probably the original Norman from the first church.

The original ‘Llan’ probably dates back to the 6th century, as there was once an inscribed stone (now lost) in the area.